From left to right: Patrick Thompson, Jim Price, and Edwin Thompson
SALEM METEORITE MARION COUNTY, OR L-6 BRECCIA IN MAY OF 1981 MARION COUNTY SHERRIFF JIM PRICE HAD JUST FINISHED SWING SHIFT AND WAS ENJOYING A WARM EVENING SITTING ON THE CURB IN FRONT OF HIS SALEM,OREGON HOME VISITING WITH AN ON DUTY DEPUTY FRIEND WHO CAME BY TO SAY HI. THEY BOTH HEARD A FLUTTERING NOISE JUST BEFORE A ROCK HIT THE ROOF OF JIM’S HOUSE AND LANDED ON THE DRIVEWAY JUST 10 FEET BEHIND THEM. JIM SAID THAT THEY BOTH THOUGHT IT WAS NEIGHBIOR KIDS UP TO MISCHIF SHOOTING ROCKS AT THEM WITH AN INNER TUBE SLING SHOT. BUT WHEN HE WENT OVER TO PICK UP THE STONE HE RECOGNISED THAT IT HAD FUSION CRUST HAVING STUDIED PHYSICS IN COLLEGE. HE SAID THAT IT FELT WARM WHEN HE PICKED IT UP. THE NEXT MORNING JIM LOOKED AROUND THE YARD AND FOUND THREE MORE PIECES AND ANOTHER IN THE GUTTER BEHIND THE HOUSE. THE FIVE FRAGMENTS WEIGHED 61 GRAMS AND FIT BACK TOGETHER TO MAKE UP 2/3 OF A GORGEOUS ORIENTED STONE WITH FUSION CRUST UP TO 1/8INCH THICK.
